Marwell Wildlife My Monthly Updates 2011 #1

[JamesB]

Ah okay, thanks. Yes, I meant to put favourite!

 

[Goretex]

5 okapis isn't bad I hope the group extends.

 

[WookieDog]

New Cheetah Exhibit 'Savannah Tracks'

All 3 Cheetah 'Turkus', 'Juba' & 'Suki' now in new exhibit. Looks great, Turkus was asleep on top of the new 'Boulder' which looked fantastic. New signage looks pretty good, hopefully there's a bit more to come though. Official opening of exhibit and access to the walkway from 9th April.
The lookout viewing pod has 2 small televisions for some kind of information video, and there is a display cabinet with skulls of African Cats & Warthog. On other side of the road there's a running track.
There are 4 area's for the Cheetah, the back 2 plus the house are off show but the main 2 (biggest) area's have really good viewing.
It will look amazing in summer when the mud turns to grass and the tree's are in leaf. Overall enclosure not 'perfect' but then show me one that is! Big improvement so well done Marwell. There will also be a zip line enrichment device installed in the near future.

 

[Zambar]

9/4/10:

Both me and mhale were at Marwell today, so wasn't sure who'd do the update, but I'll fill in my observ's and they're can be additions if I've missed any out.

- Main reason for going today was to see the now completed Savannah Tracks (new cheetah exhibit) with the boardwalk open to the public from today. Although there is quite a few muddy patches from the building work, hopefully the plants will grow over that soon and make it look a bit 'cleaner': Other than that very good, and WookieDog has filled in the basics. Whilst they're isn't quite as much interp as say Whipsnade's enclosure, it's done well enough with a very nice gradient from the boardwalk, which itself gives excellent photo opps. The cheetahs themselves were doing what they do best in warm sunshine, with the sisters Suki and Juba chilling in the top part where the serval pens were for most of the day while Turkus preferred to stay on the fake rockwork; as long as its comfy he doesn't give a damn!
- The flamingoes seemed a bit more interested in the mirrors today, with a fair bit of interaction going on around them. Here's hoping to chicks on the way soon.
- All the animals are out in the valley, except for about half of the giraffe herd who stayed in the bongo paddock. The ostrich youngsters were in the fenced off bit in the east side, and work seems to be going on in erecting fencing in the top eastern field of the valley, so hopefully this bit will be opened up soon.
- Most of the grevy's zebras seem to have moved to the valley, with the Hartmann's in the paddock by the hall. Apparently the stallion Zeus however has gone elsewhere, mhale will remember where.
- Oddly, the fascinating leaf-tailed geckos from Cold Blooded Corner have already moved/gone off-show, with the mountain horned dragon from Tropical World in their viv, tokay geckos in the dragon's viv in TW, and the green tree python one next to that empty.
- The violet touracos are out in the walk-through aviary, though not mixed with the hornbills.
- Life in the Trees is open again, but the otters haven't returned yet.

 

[mhale]

Apparently the stallion Zeus however has gone elsewhere, mhale will remember where.

The young male Chapman's zebra called Zeus has transferred to YWP.

I like the new Savannah Tracks exhibit. The cheetahs seem to have settled in well and it was lovely to be able to see them from a walkway or through glass.

 

[mhale]

Some notes from today's visit to Marwell:

1) The emperor tamarins that lived on the island in Black Swan Pond are no longer there - I'm not sure if they have left the collection or gone offshow
2) A pair of mallards are bringing up seven ducklings in the capybara/rhea paddock
3) The Asian short-clawed otters have moved back into their enclosure in the Life in the Trees exhibit, so presumably it is now otter-proof
4) The Madagascan teals are currently offshow between the Stanley cranes and Demoiselle cranes
5) One of the ocelots was limping and holding up her front left paw, but she was being observed by the keeping staff
6) One of the servals was interacting with the Chapman's zebras through the adjoining fence
7) The African valley had all nine giraffes in it today, along with the Grevy's zebras, Ellipsen waterbucks and ostriches, and it looked great
8) I was told that all of the gemsboks have been transferred to France and that the Arabian oryxes will eventually move into that paddock
9) I was also told that a new meerkat enclosure will be built on the grass between Aridlands and the Dama gazelle paddock
10) It seems that it is still on the cards for a female giraffe to arrive from Woburn soon
11) Phoenix the Grevy's zebra was apparently transferred to Chessington to join his full brother, Orion, after their father Chifu died there

The park was busy again today, which is good news for Marwell.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I am glad the oryx have taken up a bigger residence and the gemsbok been transferred out to France. Their presence with some of the aridland hoofstock would be a great addition. I just hope they can muster another stony rock exhibit for them ....

Is Chessington becoming a Grevy stallion location.
Glad the second pure-bred rothschildi is to come in soon ex Woburn.

 

[lechweoryx]

I am sad to hear that the gemsboks have gone. Now down to 4 collections in the UK which exhibit them with just 2 of them that have bred recently.

However I am happy that another oryx species will take on the paddock.

 

[zooman1]

8) I was told that all of the gemsboks have been transferred to France and that the Arabian oryxes will eventually move into that paddock


I was very shocked and sad to read that the Gemsbok have left the collection. I was always lead to belive that Marwell was proud to have its collection of the Hippotraginae or horse-like Antelopes of which they had them all bar the Beisa Oryx.
I know over the last 13 years from annual reports there has been more neo-natal deaths and other deaths then births and i wonder if that had something to do with it maybe the animals where getting veru old. I will miss my fav one the one with only little stumps with horns many times i have seen her start up a fight with the others

 

[Zambar]

The primary reason for their departure is to allow the expansion the arabian oryx breeding programme, as they are both rarer in zoos and serve as a better education tool for the importance of captive breeding in conservation. From a financial viewpoint, it also saves money in keeping a species which to the general public, seem barely any different from the arabian oryx turning few heads.

But yeah, tis still sad to see a species kept continuously since the very early days of the Park to leave. (And also creating an awkward situation for us in the oldest group of the oryx club, who have been called 'the Gemsboks' for ages!)

 

[Pertinax]

From a financial viewpoint, it also saves money in keeping a species which to the general public, seem barely any different from the arabian oryx turning few heads.

But yeah, tis still sad to see a species kept continuously since the very early days of the Park to leave.

I think Arabian and Scimitar-horned are actually more similar in appearance while Gemsbok are actually the most striking of the three, but of course they are the least endangered too.

Not sure when they first got Gemsbok- they were not part of the initial foundation stock but came I think soon after, as the plan was to have them with the Hartmann's zebras.

 

[sooty mangabey]

Not sure when they first got Gemsbok- they were not part of the initial foundation stock but came I think soon after, as the plan was to have them with the Hartmann's zebras.

Gemsbok first arrived in 1974 - so not quite at the beginning.

I agree that it's a real shame Marwell are losing them. What was once a world class ungulate collection is now looking distinctly ordinary. From 1995, they have lost babirusa, chevrotain, axis deer, hog deer, barasingha, muntjac, pudu, kulan and Malayan tapir - and now gemsbok too. At the same time, the only additions have been black wildebeest and takin - two great species, admittedly.

 

[Zambar]

And dorcas gazelle and brazilian tapir. To be fair to Marwell, they're ungulate collection does still stand head and shoulders above most other zoos, about on par with Whipsnade. The management that took over a few years ago and inaugurated the change to 'Marwell Wildlife' is still finding it's feet with the animal collection, and had been spending a lot of time recently forming a new collection plan. As far as I've heard, there's been more discussions lately with more comprehensive plans for what is displayed at the Park.

 

[sooty mangabey]

And dorcas gazelle and brazilian tapir.

Yes, you're right with the dorcas gazelles - although they replaced Arabian gazelles. Brazilian tapirs were resident from 1972 until 1997, before returning in 2009, so they're both a loss and a gain.

I may be being totally unfair - and I very much hope I am - but the current regime seem to have spent an awful lot of time hatching plans and strategies, without, as yet, any great end product. There have of course been some new things, such as the cheetah enclosure, but nothing substantial, and nothing that I think will be noticed by the man on the Gosport omnibus.

 

[Zambar]

Oh I do agree with you on the last point: To me Marwell always used to have the same sort of charm you got at places like Howletts, but now there seems to be so much advertising for commercial reasons directed at appealing to purely the visitor that the animal collection can seem like an after-thought sometimes. These are just my personal thoughts, but when you look at places like Chester and Longleat who are currently ploughing out the new exhibits, the place can feel a little half-lifed at times.

 

[Pertinax]

I started revisiting Marwell a few years ago and now go most years. I get the same feel there now as at Paignton, or Africa Alive in Suffolk- the more 'generalised' zoo collection feel, despite there still being a very interesting collection.

 

[sooty mangabey]

There's a piece about Marwell's bird collection in the latest Cage and Aviary Birds. Doesn't reveal a great deal, but it does suggest that the zoo have been using focus groups to determine their future direction. Ye Gods!

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

There's a piece about Marwell's bird collection in the latest Cage and Aviary Birds. Doesn't reveal a great deal, but it does suggest that the zoo have been using focus groups to determine their future direction. Ye Gods!

Are you able to reveal a little more on the subject of future course and focus for birds at Marwell?

 

[sooty mangabey]

Are you able to reveal a little more on the subject of future course and focus for birds at Marwell?

It's a pretty bland article, which doesn't really say anything of any note. They want to breed their marabou storks; they want more walk-through, mixed-species exhibits; the days of single species exhibits in a row are, apparently, long gone. Hmmmm...

On the Cage & Aviary website, you can see the relevant page - and, if your eye-sight is excellent, read it as well. Cage & Aviary Birds.

 

[Nanook]

The primary reason for their departure is to allow the expansion the arabian oryx breeding programme, as they are both rarer in zoos and serve as a better education tool for the importance of captive breeding in conservation. From a financial viewpoint, it also saves money in keeping a species which to the general public, seem barely any different from the arabian oryx turning few heads.

But yeah, tis still sad to see a species kept continuously since the very early days of the Park to leave. (And also creating an awkward situation for us in the oldest group of the oryx club, who have been called 'the Gemsboks' for ages!)

The Gemsboks departure is only the start of a major collection planning re-shuffle across the park species-wise, in accordance with the new zoological directors plans for the parks future. The precise details of which are for internal discussion only at the moment.